1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Stirling engine, and more particularly to a burner of a Stirling engine suitable for air-conditioning, heating and generation of electric power.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional Stirling engine has a reversible cycle which includes two isothermal changes and two equivalent changes. Namely, the Stirling engine has a cycle which cold (isothermally) compresses an operational gas such as helium enclosed therein with external cooling (generally the operational gas is heated by the combustion heat supplied to a heater). In the Stirling engine having the cycle of this sort, the waste heat left in the cooling water of the cooler is larger than 50% of the input heat supplied to the heater. By the use of the Stirling engine, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the use of the energy due to using the waste heat for heating and suctioning of hot water. Further, the heat efficiency is high, hazards to the public minimal and it is able to use the variety fuels. As a result, the Stirling engine is suitable as a power source of a compressor for an air-conditioning and heating device.
In the Stirling engine, the efficiency of the heat transfer between the heat and the combustion gas largely influences the efficiency of the Stirling engine.
In the conventional Stirling engine, the burner is disposed in the center of the combustion chamber and the heater tubes are positioned at the outer circumferential portion of the combustion chamber, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,030. In this burner, however, since the burner is disposed in the center and upper side of the combustion chamber, it is not possible to enlarge the opening area of the nozzle of a burner without spoiling the stabilized combustion. Therefore, it is not possible to burn the fuel under a low pressure condition. Accordingly, it is impossible to use the burner as a power source of the compressor for an air-conditioning and heating device for domestic use.